Turner Broadcasting Signs 4-year Tv Contract Extension

September 22, 1993

The NBA and Turner Broadcasting announced a four-year extension of their TV contract that will bring a game of the week to TBS and assure that every playoff game will be on some national TV network. TNT will broadcast about 45 regular-season games, down from the present 50. TBS will televise a Thursday night game in each of the 25 weeks of the season. TNT will continue to do about 35 playoff games, and TBS will do about 10. Turner will pay a reported $346 million for the four years, beginning in the 1994-95 season, representing an increase of about 25 percent over its past four years...

The NBA tentatively has approved free-agent center Chris Dudley's contract with Portland, but the league says it will revoke the contract if its appeal in federal court succeeds. The league contends the seven-year, $11 million contract circumvents the salary cap because it contains a clause allowing Dudley to become a free agent again after one season.